Schools
Springtime Orchestra, Jazz Concert Have Something for Everyone
The spring performance included modern and classical pieces.
From the toe-tapping familiarity of Stevie Wonder’s “Sir Duke” through the elegant strains of Vivaldi and Beethoven, the Chatham High School band and orchestra concert Thursday night offered something for every musical taste.
The evening featured the Jazz Band, under the direction of Brian Conti; the Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra, under the direction of Krystle Graser; and a performance by the combined orchestras.
The Jazz Band, which showcased several students’ solos and later a quartet, took the stage first and opened with “Signed, Sealed, Delivered,” a medley of Steve Wonder tunes that Conti said was inspired by his wife, a huge fan of Wonder. The jazzy “Foo’s Blues” was followed by a soulful rendition of “Since I Fell for You,” featuring an extended alto saxophone solo by Will Smart. The Jazz Band ended their portion of the concert with Joaquin Rodrigo’s “Spain (I Can Recall Spain)” that included a quartet of Smart, Doug Trumbore, Ryan Fauver and Andrew Mudgett.
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The rchestra opened with Tchaikovsky’s “A Rococo Theme” before moving into the complex “Sinfonia III in E Minor” by Mendelssohn, and closed with “Folk Tune,” from Folk Tune and Fiddle Dance Suite for Strings.
The Chamber Orchestra, a smaller group than the Orchestra, then took the stage and opened with “La Gazza Ladra” by Gioacchino Rossini. Two more classic pieces followed, Dvorak’s “Serenade for Strings Op. 22” and Beethoven’s “Allegretto.” They closed with a breathtaking rendition of Vivaldi’s “Summer,” from his “Four Seasons” concertos.
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The Combined Orchestras took the stage for the closing numbers, including the Welsh folk song “All Through the Night,” then the emotional “Con Te Partiro” (Time to Say Goodbye), and concluding with a beautiful rendition of “Allegro in G,” also by Vivaldi.
The conductors also recognized their groups’ graduating seniors: Andrea Baez, Morgan Buckley, Matthew Byers, Manon Ciccarone, Julia Danitz, Benjamin Morris, Andrew Mudgett, Connor Nelson, Christian Ortolani, Meredith Serbanica and Abigail Taylor.
